Cops investigating incident near Sanai get little help from owner Dehere and others, police say

When a large fight and gunfire erupted outside ex-NBA player and former Jersey City Board of Education member Terry Dehere's bar Saturday the former St. Anthony High School star was uncooperative and police were about to break down the door when he finally came out, police say.

Today Dehere said the incident had nothing to do with the bar, which was already closed for the night and that's why the doors were locked.

At 2:15 a.m. officers responded to Sanai's Restaurant & Lounge at Summit and Magnolia on a report of a large street fight and shots being fired, reports said. Near the front door there was a car with no driver inside, but a man in the front passenger seat had blood spilling out of his mouth, reports said.

Police found 12 spent shell casings near the bar's rear parking lot and a bullet through the window of a nearby residence, reports said. The residents said they heard a large group coming from the area of Sanai's and then their bathroom window shattered, reports said, adding that the projectile was found on the bathroom floor.

While on the scene police noticed there were still people in the bar but the door was locked so they knocked, reports said. They then knocked on all the doors and windows but still got no answer, reports said, adding that officers called the bar but no one picked up.

The report notes that police "have been summoned to this same location on shots fired and street fights in the past," reports said. Knowing that patrons and employees were still in the bar in the wake of the fight and gunfire, police got permission to force entry but as they were about to, Dehere and about nine others walked out, reports said.

When Dehere was asked by police why he hadn't opened the door, he said "he was upstairs and did not know the police wanted to enter," reports said. An employee of the bar said Dehere "told him not to open the door, knowing that law enforcement was outside," reports said.

Police said "all persons, including the bar owner Terry Dehere would not cooperate with police."

Today Dehere said "I knew the cops were outside but it didn't concern us," adding that employees were conducting their regular closing tallies and such at the time and the bar was closed. He said he was cooperative once he opened the door. He said whatever happened had nothing to do with the bar and he was unaware of any incidents inside his bar that night.

The man bleeding from the mouth refused to cooperate and refused medical attention, reports said.